Cost Effective Trip to Muara Bungo

(Much safer than ground travel.)

Plane used for flights between the cities of Jambi and Muara Bungo.Single prop., 12 passenger, Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan.

This information is for those who want to fly to Muara Bungo from Jambi or vice versa. These flights recently started and are still in their developmental stages, so our below information is being continually revised.

Flight from Jambi to Muara Bungo

This is a Susi Air flight which uses is a single prop Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan 12 passenger plane. It continues on to Bengkulu from Muara Bungo. In addition to this flight, there are also daily flights to and from Jakarta from Muara Bungo—with a much larger jet.

At this time the scheduled flight departure times are:
Thursday flight from Jambi to Muara Bungo, departing at 13:40 pm.
Sunday flight from Muara Bungo to Jambi, departing at 12:30 pm.

The Flight

Muara Bungo Airport

The flight lasted 40-50 minutes. For us it was a very smooth takeoff and landing. During the flight we experienced no turbulence and no pitching or rolling.

Booking

We were told to call Susi Air on the day of departure to reserve a seat, but if you wait that long the seats most probably will be filled. We SMS’d (text messaged) 2 days before departure and had our names put on their list. There is yet to be a ticket counter at the airport that sells tickets.

Contact person for this Susi Air flight in the City of Jambi is Bp. Agus No. 085266328792.

All luggage, including backpacks, must be stored below the plane. There isn’t enough room for them in the cabin.

We didn’t get a receipt, ticket, or pay airport tax. The total cost for the one-way flight was Rp260.000 ($26.91 USD) per person. Prior to departure in Jambi we asked for a receipt but they said all of that would be given in Muara Bungo. When we got to Muara Bungo we found the airport building to be an empty shell. There was nobody who could give a receipt. The officials said that the receipt would be available when we come back to the Muara Bungo airport upon our departure back to Jambi. On the day of our departure back to Jambi from Muara Bungo there still wasn’t a ticketing process in place or a way to get a receipt. We made up a receipt for both trips and had them sign it.

Checking in at the Jambi Airport

We found the Susi Air counter at the far right of the check-in area. There were no signs on the counter, only a couple of guys in regular street clothes—no uniforms or name badges. They had a hand written manifest with the names of the 12 passengers.

Departure from Jambi

The flight wasn’t posted on the led Arrival / Departure sign. A man came to us when they were ready for us to board and he told us personally. The departure time was set at 13:40, but with all passengers loaded and ready to go, the flight took off at 13:15.

Arrival in Muara Bungo

Bandara Udara Muara Bungo

When you arrive in Muara Bungo and you want to return to Jambi on the next flight several days later, you need to get your name on the books for that flight right away. We told them in Jambi we wanted to return on the next flight, but upon arrival in Muara Bungo we discovered that that information didn’t get passed along. Fortunately for us there were only 4 people’s names on the next flight from Muara Bungo to Jambi, so we got our name on the list.

Ground Transportation in Muara Bungo

You need to arrange land transportation ahead of time for when you arrive in Muara Bungo. There are no taxis or ojeks at the airport (the place is still very deserted).

Batanghari River During the Rainy SeasonFlying at lower altitudes makes the scenery much more enjoyable. The flight time passes very quickly.

Canteen (Kantin)

At the Muara Bungo airport there are no stores or shops where you can buy gifts (oleh-oleh), though there is a canteen that sells drinks and snack foods. The canteen has 4 small square tables with a total of 11 chairs.

The Road Outside the Muara Bungo Airport

The road leading to and from the Muara Bungo airport has no directional signs. The road inside the airport is not yet paved—it’s still a mud road. The appearance of the airport from the main entrance looks like it is an entrance to a palm oil plantation (Kebun Sawit), in that it’s just a muddy dirt road with a fence made from sheet metal roofing—no signs indicating it’s an airport. The runway or buildings can’t be seen from the main road.

Departure from Muara Bungo to Jambi

The flight was scheduled to depart at 12:30, but with all passengers checked-in and on the plane, it departed at 11:50.